The level and ranks of Jannah

If it's ok shaykhna, I had a question regarding a couple of ahadith: 1. Different ahadith specify each x action as raising the doer one rank in Jannah. Are these all the same in the degree of raising? So when someone walks to the masjid after having made wudhu, do they raise one rank in Jannah for each step just as a person who memorises an ayah of the Quran? Or are they different? Jazak'Allah.

Answer

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

This is a question which requires a bit of detail.

Firstly we need to answer how many levels ( درجات ) of Jannah are there before we can properly answer your question.

There are three opinions regarding the levels of Jannah.

The levels of jannah are 100 .
This is based upon the following ahadith

The Prophetﷺ said, "Whoever believes in Allah and His Apostle offers prayers perfectly and fasts (the month of) Ramadan then it is incumbent upon Allah to admit him into Paradise, whether he emigrates for Allah's cause or stays in the land where he was born." They (the companions of the Prophet) said, "O Allah's Messenger (Should we not inform the people of that?" He said, "There are one-hundred levels in Paradise which Allah has prepared for those who carry on Jihad in His Cause. The distance between every two levels is like the distance between the sky and the Earth, so if you ask Allah for anything, ask Him for the Firdaus, for it is the last part of Paradise and the highest part of Paradise, and at its top there is the Throne of Beneficent, and from it gush forth the rivers of Paradise."[1]

'Ubadah bin As-Samit narrated that the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) said:"In Paradise, there are a hundred levels, what is between every two levels is like what is between the heavens and the earth. Al-Firdaus is the highest level, and from it the four rivers of Paradise are made to flow forth. So when you ask Allah, ask Him for Al-Firdaus."[2]

The levels of Jannah are according to the number of Ayahs of the Quran
This is based upon the following hadith.

Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Amr: that the Prophet said: "It shall be said – meaning to the one who memorized the Qur'an – 'Recite, and rise up, recite (melodiously) as you would recite in the world. For indeed your rank shall be at the last Ayah you recited.'"[3]

Amongst the scholars to hold this view was Al-Khattabi.

The levels of Jannah are unknown to us in the absence of a clear proof.
As for the evidences of the first group , their evidence is questionable for multiple reasons

Because the first hadith mentions these 100 levels are prepared for the mujahideen. That does not mean there may be other levels for other people. We know the ranks of the Siddeqeen and Anbiyaa are higher in the eyes of Allah ( سبحانه و تعالى ) .
The commentators of hadith also explain this hadith does not excluded other levels.
Ibn-Hajar says the following in Fatul-Bari

“As for the statement “ 100” Ranks its context does not mean that the number mentioned are all the levels of Jannah without extra levels, as there is nothing explicit mentioned to exclude any extra levels and this is supported by the hadith about the person ( hafiz ) of the Quran who will be told to recite….”[4]

Likewise Mullah Ali Qari in Mishkaat quoted Ibn Malik as saying the following
إِنَّ فِي الْجَنَّةِ مِائَةَ دَرَجَةٍ» ) ، قَالَ ابْنُ الْمَلَكِ: الْمُرَادُ بِالْمِائَةِ هَاهُنَا الْكَثْرَةُ )
“Ibn Malik said the 100 levels only indicates there are many (not that it is fixed to hundred )”[5]
Imam Bukhari and Imam tirmidhi both report this hadith from Abu Hurairah ( رضي الله عنه ) and fix the levels to the Mujahideen
Imam Tirmidhi and Imam Nasaaie both report this hadith from Abu Saeed Al-Khudri ( رضي الله عنه ) and fix it to the Mujahideen.
Imam Tirmidhi reports this from Muaaz ( رضي الله عنه ) and the narration indicates these levels are for the Mujahideen.
Imam Nasaaie reports from Abu Dardaa ( رضي الله عنه )and the narration fixes the levels for the Mujahideen( رحمة الله على الجميع )
All of these reports are counted as ( الزيادة من الثقات ) and hence it's very clear that these level seem to be for the mujahideen.
As for the second opinion , again the hadith does not in any way indicate how many levels of Jannah there are, it only tells us that the reciter of the Quran may reach such and such level.
Also some of the people of knowledge have pointed out this hadith mentions manzila ( منزلة ) which is different from Darajah ( درجة ) . So we cannot fix the level of Jannah using this hadith.
In summary the levels of Jannah is something not explicitly mentioned in the Quran or Hadith. Also this is a matter of the unseen ( علم الغيب ) regarding which we should not say anything unless we have clear proof.
Coming on to your questions, again we have to say this is a matter of the unseen ( علم الغيب ) regarding which we should not say anything unless we have clear proof and there is no clear proof in this matter so in summary Allah ( سبحانه و تعالى ) knows best .
However I will mention a few possibilities which the people of knowledge have mentioned .
1. Yes the levels are different for each good deed. Just like there are different doors of Jannah for different good deeds , there are different levels of Jannah for the various good deeds . So the hadith about the Mujahideen talks about the levels of jannah for the Mujahideen and the hadiths about the Hafiz talks about the levels of Jannah for a Hafiz and the hadiths about walking to the Masjid talks about levels specific for such a good deed.
2. There are two sets of levels. Major and minor and between each major level there are many minor levels. So the Hafiz of the Quran or the one walking to the masjids may raise many minor levels due to their actions and as a result they may raise a few major levels.

Only Allah Knows Best

Written by Maulana Mujahid Hussain

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Hadith Birmingham

[1]Hadith number 7423. Saheeh Bukhari. The Imam reports this Hadeesmultiple times in his book. Darussalam print.

[2] Tirmizi 2531. The Imam reported a few hadiths in this chapter with different chains. This chain is Saheeh. Amongst the scholars to classify it as Saheeh include . Hakim , Zubair Ali Zaie and Shuaab Ar Arnaoot. ( رحمهم الله )